Ode to Blake…

Ode to Blake…

by Jeannie Tis The Season
“This is how I shall measure time….” I can’t find the poem. I found a short essay from which the poem was crafted, but the poem may be lost, which is not surprising since there have been many moves and nearly three decades between. The search was not exhaustive so there is yet hope. I remember only fragments of the poem, the last line being, “This is how I shall measure time.” When my son, Blake, was ... Read more
Et tu, Brute…

Et tu, Brute…

by Jeannie Tis The Season
Et tu, Brute…. This is about betrayal. In the garden. Way back in high school, I had Latin class for three years. I had no idea of course that Latin would serve me so well: learning plant botanical names was way down the road but because of my Latin studies I had a much easier go of it than my classmates; and a familiarity with classic architecture was surely a benefit in my pursuit of a landscape ... Read more
The Grass is Greener…

The Grass is Greener…

by Jeannie Plants Tis The Season
Fred called the other day to say that he was worried about the coming cold temperatures and asked if he should cover his Paper Bush. We were lucky in that there was a bit of wind, which prevented frost from settling on buds and flowers. However, Fred also said he thought the cold snap seemed to take away the fragrance from his Paper Bush. As soon as we hung up I had to go outdoors and check: mine, too. Sigh. Like many things, it ... Read more
Counting Down…

Counting Down…

by Jeannie Tis The Season
Yesterday I had to blink and look twice–I saw Chipmunk out from hibernation snacking alongside the birds on the seed I just scattered. Maybe he fell for some fake news that spring has arrived while the rest of us are still counting down. I hope he’s correct in his assessment, even though his friend Ground Hog has yet to let us know his thoughts on the topic. Knowing  February can be a wicked weather month for us, I hope Chipmunk ... Read more
Out of the Darkness and Into the Light…

Out of the Darkness and Into the Light…

by Jeannie Tis The Season
Out of the Darkness and Into the Light… Onions skins very thin, mild winter moving in. I read this expression in The Old Farmer’s Almanac website. Do any of you grow onions? Can you give us a local report? I have a penchant for Vidalia’s therefore I have no comment since I’m importing onions from Georgia where there are almost always mild winters. Well, milder than here. I am hoping, though, that we do have a mild winter. And it is now just that–Winter ... Read more